Behind SARW’s appointment are the various activities since 2010 to tackle the illegal exploitation of natural resources in the Great Lakes Region, the Alternative Summit on the margins of ICGLR Heads of State Special Summit.

The mining industry contributes significantly to the hardship experienced by black women in rural areas of South Africa. For decades, mining houses have drawn in young black men for labour, only for many to return home sick, with little to show for years spent toiling underground.

Resource-rich countries are said to be more prone to negative outcomes ranging from slow economic growth, underinvestment in human capital, and environmental degradation to corruption, authoritarian rule, and violent conflict.

Global and regional mechanisms for natural resource governance such as PWYP, EITI, KCP, Frank-Dodd Act, and the AMV have evolved against the backdrop of ideas and practices undergirding the resource curse.

History teaches us that Britain was the world’s largest empire and pre-eminent superpower during the 19th century. During this period, Britain built thriving global companies that cemented its economic dominance by exploiting the resources of its colonies and other countries.

People’s Republic of China (PRC) has prioritised Africa as a strategic partner at both the political and economic levels, while seeking to link African commodity and consumer markets to China’s growing economy

Zambia was the first country on the African continent to produce copper and its economy has historically been heavily dependent on the mining of copper and cobalt. Once a middle-income country, Zambia began to slide into poverty in the 1970s when copper prices declined on the world market.